Method of producing butanol using a mutant strain of Clostridium beijerinckii

• US 6,358,717 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1998
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Inventors: Chen, Chih-Kuang, Blaschek, Hans, Annous, Bassam, Formanek, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Marx, Irene
• Application Number:
  US09/076,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 435/160, 435/161, 435/252.7, 435/842, 435/150
• US Class Current: 435/160
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/065 with microorganisms other than yeasts
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/16 Butanols
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/28 Acetone-containing products
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of producing high levels of butanol using a fermentation process that employs a mutant strain of Clostridium beijerinckii.

Claims

1. A method of producing butanol, acetone and ethanol comprising the steps of anaerobically culturing a biologically pure culture of Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 ATCC No. PTA-1550 in a nutrient medium with assimilable carbohydrates and recovering the butanol, acetone and ethanol.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of fermenting the Clostridium beijerinckii BA 101 in a nutrient medium with assimilable carbohydrates for a period of from about 30 to about 275 hours prior to recovering the butanol.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the Clostridium beijerinckii BA 101 is fermented in the nutrient medium with the assimilable carbohydrates at a temperature of from about 30°

C. to about 40°

C.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of butanol recovered is from about 18.0 g/L to about 21.0 g/L.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the recovered butanol demonstrates a yield of from about 32 to about 35%.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the assimilable carbohydrates are glucose, maltodextrin or corn steep liquor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the nutrient medium contains an organic acid.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the organic acid is acetate or butyrate.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the assimilable carbohydrates comprise starch.

10. A method of producing butanol, acetone and ethanol comprising the steps of culturing a biologically pure culture of Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 in a nutrient medium with assimilable carbohydrates, fermenting the Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 ATCC No. PTA-1550 in the nutrient medium with the assimilable carbohydrates for sufficient period of time to allow for the production of butanol, acetone and ethanol and recovering the butanol, acetone and ethanol.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the fermenting is batch fermentation.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the fermenting is continuous fermentation.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the amount of butanol recovered is from about 18.0 g/L to about 21.0 g/L.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the nutrient medium contains an organic acid.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the organic acid is acetate or butyrate.

16. A biologically pure culture of Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 ATCC No. PTA 1550.

17. A method for producing butanol comprising the steps of anaerobically culturing a biologically pure culture of Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 ATCC No. PTA 1550 in a nutrient medium with assimilable carbohydrates and recovering the butanol.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the assimilable carbohydrates comprise starch.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the nutrient medium contains an organic acid.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the organic acid is acetate or butyrate.